The
institute has considerable interest on Biopropecting of medicinal plant
genetic resources. This area encompasses the development of reliable molecular
markers for quantitative medicinal traits that in future would complement
the rational drugs design programme. This multistep genomic research-driven
drug discovery programme envisages the complicity of Bioinformatics in
almost every stage of screening procedure that extends from DNA sequence
similarity search to decoding of gene sequence to protein products and
identification and characterisation of target site/molecule to the subsequent
development of a patentable product of therapeutic value through an intermediate
bioprocess step.

The
centre, besides providing regular off-line, on-line information support,
will develop a focus on storage and analysis of DNA fingerprints of medicinal
plants using various software programmes so that the information can be
effectively utilised in the construction of dendrograms, development of
species/genotype specific molecular markers and establishment of local/complete
genetic linkage maps to enable future isolation of respective gene(s) and
evolve better plant breeding strategies. Development of relevant databases
and linkages with other institutes will also be undertaken.